Highlights of Greenland: Ilulissat Icefjord, Disko Bay & Nuuk

This morning you journey out across the Arctic tundra by rugged vehicle towards the edge of the great Greenland Ice Sheet at the Russell Glacier, crossing wild country where musk oxen and reindeer graze and Arctic hares dart among the rocks. You stand before a towering wall of ancient blue and white ice stretching to the horizon, listening to it crack and groan, an awe-inspiring and humbling sight. Later you transfer to the airport and fly north over a dazzling landscape of ice and water to Ilulissat, the beautiful town on the shore of Disko Bay, beside the famous Icefjord. You settle into your hotel and take a first walk through the colourful town. This evening, savour the extraordinary light and the icebergs drifting offshore. Rest well amid the beauty of Ilulissat.

Today you experience the spectacular heart of Greenland, the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord. You head out by boat into the mouth of the fjord and along the coast, cruising among vast, sculpted icebergs, some the size of buildings, glowing white and electric blue and endlessly carved by wind and water. These floating cathedrals of ice are calved by the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, one of the fastest and most productive in the world, and the scale and silence are overwhelming. Back on land, you walk the boardwalk trails from the old Sermermiut settlement to viewpoints over the ice-choked fjord, watching the icebergs drift silently out to sea. The beauty is beyond words. This evening, savour the golden Arctic light on the ice. Rest well in beautiful Ilulissat, beside the greatest icebergs on earth.

Today you head out into the rich waters of Disko Bay in search of the great whales of the Arctic summer. The bay is among the best places on earth to see humpback whales, which gather here to feed among the drifting icebergs, alongside fin and minke whales. By boat you watch these giants surface, blow and dive, their enormous tails lifting slowly against a backdrop of shimmering ice, an unforgettable spectacle. You cruise among the icebergs and along the beautiful coast, keeping watch for seals and seabirds too, as your guide shares the wildlife and traditions of the bay. The wildlife and ice are magical. Back in Ilulissat, you have time to explore the colourful town, its harbour and its excellent local museum. This evening, savour fresh Greenlandic seafood. Rest well beside the beautiful bay.

Today you make a spectacular boat journey north across Disko Bay to the Eqi Glacier, one of the most active calving glaciers in Greenland. You cruise for several hours through waters strewn with icebergs, watching for whales along the way, until you reach the towering face of the glacier, where great blocks of ice break away and crash thunderously into the sea, sending waves rolling across the bay. You pause to take in the raw power and beauty of the ice at close and safe range. On the way you may call at the tiny fishing settlement of Oqaatsut, a cluster of colourful houses on the shore, for a taste of remote Greenlandic life. The ice is magnificent. This evening, back in Ilulissat, savour the memory of the calving glacier. Rest well.

This morning you take a last walk along the Icefjord, watching the icebergs in the changing light, before transferring to the airport and flying south to Nuuk, Greenland's small and characterful capital, over a dazzling landscape of ice, mountains and sea. Nuuk, the world's smallest capital, sits on a spectacular fjord beneath the pointed peak of Sermitsiaq, a lively little town of brightly painted timber houses, modern architecture and a growing food and arts scene. You are met and transferred to your hotel, and take a first stroll through the colourful streets and along the waterfront. The setting, beneath its mountains and beside its vast fjord, is beautiful. This evening, sample Nuuk's surprising food scene, built on fresh Arctic ingredients. Rest well in the colourful capital, ready to explore it tomorrow.

Today you explore colourful Nuuk and its rich culture. You visit the excellent Greenland National Museum, home to the remarkably preserved 500-year-old Qilakitsoq mummies, kayaks, hunting tools and the story of Greenland from the earliest Inuit to today. You wander the historic Colonial Harbour district, with its old timber buildings and the statue of the missionary Hans Egede on the hill above, and take in the striking Katuaq cultural centre. You stroll streets of red, blue, yellow and green houses set among rock and sea, meet local artists and makers, and learn about the blend of ancient Inuit tradition and modern Greenlandic life. The culture and setting are captivating. This evening, savour Nuuk's food scene, from halibut and snow crab to reindeer. Rest well in the beautiful capital.

Today you cruise the vast and beautiful Nuuk Fjord, one of the largest fjord systems in the world, beneath the dramatic pointed peak of Sermitsiaq. By boat you head out among islands, mountains and drifting icebergs, keeping watch for seals, whales and seabirds, and taking in the immense, silent beauty of the Arctic landscape. You may call at an abandoned settlement or a tiny community along the shore, learning about the traditional hunting and fishing life of the fjord, and pause at a quiet spot to soak up the wilderness. The scale and serenity are unforgettable. Back in Nuuk, you have time to explore more of the colourful town, its galleries and its harbour, and to shop for Greenlandic craft. This evening, enjoy a final dinner in the capital, reflecting on your journey. Rest well.

After a final morning in colourful Nuuk, perhaps a last stroll along the waterfront or some final souvenir shopping for tupilak carvings and Greenlandic craft, you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight from Greenland. You leave having experienced the very best of the world's largest island, the vast, luminous icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord, the whales and calving Eqi Glacier of Disko Bay, the awe-inspiring edge of the great Ice Sheet, and the colourful capital, Nuuk, with its museum, Colonial Harbour and fjord, all warmed by genuine Greenlandic hospitality. The images stay vivid long after you land, the floating cathedrals of ice, the whales surfacing among the bergs, the wall of the Ice Sheet, and the painted houses of Nuuk beneath Sermitsiaq. Greenland offers beauty, wildlife and wonder in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return.